Blade Runner

The Good
You’re detective Ray McCoy in this adventure game which combines elements from Dick’s novel: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and Scott’s Blade Runner. You’re a rep dect, a Blade Runner, in charge of tracking down replicants that have returned to Earth from the off-world colonies and retiring them.

The game starts with an investigation of animal slayings at Runciter’s, a shady animal dealer. You’ll have to collect evidence, interview suspects, scan and enhance pictures for clues. As the game progress, you’ll meet a wide cast of characters, explore the kipple infested remains of post-WWIII L.A., use your Voight-Kampf test to determine who’s human and use your sidearm to take care of those who aren’t.

One of this game’s major strengths is the replayability. You can set your mood to determine how you interact with people and the choices you make during the game really effect the game’s outcome. Do you shoot first or ask questions? Draw your gun to threaten suspects? Let replicants walk or retire them?

The story is amazing and I must disagree with the person who said that it’s the same story as the movie. This game has at least six ending and the movie only has two. Any similarity to the story is the result of the fact that it deals with similar themes. This game handles events, even ones concurrent with the movie, in a completely different manner.

Although this is an adventure game, I enjoyed the lack of any real puzzles and the emphasis on detection and character interaction. When combat was necessary, it was well done and challenging without being impossible. Sound and voice acting is extraordinary.

The Bad
Blade Runner has terrific graphics except for the ingame character graphics. The voxel technology is too pixilated as characters move toward the foreground and become larger. As I understand it, this was a compromise in order to have realistic character motion, but… ug.

There were elements of Blade Runner that I wish were more interactive. I think I am being hard on the game because it is so interactive, so realistic that I want more. I want to ask people where the police chief is when he isn’t around. I want to call people and not wait to be called. I don’t just want to talk to the main characters I want to talk to everyone.

The Bottom Line
One of the best examples of an adventure game. It doesn't live up to its "real time" claim, but it is exemplary in the way it uses character interaction and exploration rather than puzzle solving or maze running.